Ares
Ares, also known as Mars Ultor, is the firstborn son of Zeus and Hera, and the Olympian God of War. He is widely regarded as one of, if not the most, skilled fighters in the cosmos. Contrary to how he is often portrayed in popular culture, Ares is not a bloodthirsty warmonger, but rather a precise and disciplined warrior who values honor and integrity above all. Biography Early Years One of the only trueborn children of Zeus and his wife, Hera, Ares was the first of their comparatively small brood. It is said when his father first held him and reached out to tickle his nose, that the infant Ares bit his father’s finger so hard that blood was drawn. As he grew, his love for violence and carnage became apparent for all to see, and he became known for often visiting the mortal world to incite and participate in bloody conflict. Brash, arrogant, and hot headed, Ares often found himself rushing blindly into dangerous situations and humiliating himself as a result. He was viewed with scorn by most of the other Olympians, including his own father, Zeus, who declared once that if Ares was not his own son, he would gladly have cast him down from Olympus. Even his lover, Aphrodite, who he fathered four children on, only valued him for his looks and his body, caring little for Ares himself. This led to many years of bitterness towards the vast majority of his family. War Against the Beznadi When the Beznadi, lead by Svarog, their bloodthirsty leader, attacked Olympus out of nowhere and broke through its gates, Ares reacted immediately. Hot blooded as he was, Ares did not wait for the Council to convene for a strategic meeting. Instead, Ares clad himself in his armor, and rushed to meet the invaders. After arriving at the head of the marching army, Ares challenged Svarog to a duel, which the Beznadi warlord accepted. Despite being the more skilled duelist, Ares could not match Svarog's power, and was overwhelmed. Subsequently, Svarog imprisoned him in a massive jar to complete his humiliation, before proclaiming that all of Ares's female relatives would become his concubines. Ares, unfortunately, remained imprisoned until the battle had ended. Rome Upon the rise of the Roman Empire, Ares had become known as Mars, and in an attempt to improve his family’s perception of him, he struggled to become less like a raging beast, and in Rome, learned discipline and strategy, eventually rising to become the second most prominent god in the Roman pantheon. While he was no longer as brash and foolish as before, his arrogance soared to new heights, which did little to change his family’s opinion of him. Once the angels began their war against the various pantheons of gods, Ares fought bravely against them, slaying scores of lesser angels and killing a dozen Grigori and two Seraphim, before finally being defeated at the hands of the Archangel Uriel. Dragged to Heaven, he was tortured for over six centuries, eventually being released after Zeus agreed that all worship of the Olympians would cease. Recent Years - Present Day Physical Appearance As an Olympian, Ares is capable of taking on any form he desires. Currently, he chooses to appear as a tall, muscular man, with dark hair and tan skin. Personality For most of his early life, Ares was a bloodthirsty brute who lusted for nothing more than battle and carnage. Though a reasonably skilled warrior, he lacked focus and discipline, and relied mostly on his overwhelming power to win fights. After his time in Rome, Ares became far more hardened and focused, honing his skill to mastery and refining his tactical knowledge. Presently, he is considerably mellowed out, and while he still enjoys combat, he no longer revels in carnage, and tries to kill as little as possible. Ares also despises deceit and dishonesty, a trait which he carried even during his early life, and had little patience for verbal banter and hidden meanings within conversation. Furthermore, he also despises cowardice, and respects courage in any form, no matter how small it may seem. Powers Ares possesses the standard Olympian powers, on a rather high level. Olympian Physiology: Due to his Olympian heritage, Ares possesses a number of magical abilities. * Shapeshifting: As an Olympian, Ares is able to manipulate his essence to transform into any shape he desires. * Super Strength: Ares is gifted with godly levels of physical might. * Super Speed: Ares has vast degrees of superhuman speed. * Super Durability: Ares has the ability to withstand nearly any physical attack without sustaining any harm. * Healing Factor: If Ares is somehow damaged, he is able to recover from non magical damage in seconds. * Shapeshifting: As an Olympian, Ares is capable of shaping his magical essence into any physical form of his choice. * Super Senses: Ares possesses divinely powerful senses. * Immense Magical Power: Ares, as a higher being, possesses an enormous reserve of magical energy that he can draw on for casting spells which surpasses that of any mortal. * Divine Domains: Due to his status as a deity, Ares holds innate magical control over certain aspects of existence. ** Necromancy (Limited): The souls of those who lose wars traditionally go to Ares. As such, he is able to command and control the dead who have been defeated in battle. ** Pyrokinesis: Ares has the ability to control fire(which is inferior to that of his brother, Hephaestus), since fire is an implement often used in war. ** Telumkinesis: Ares has divine control over weaponry, and as such, he is able know the function of any weapon, and is capable of bestowing blessings or curses upon them with ease. ** Emotional Manipulation: As a War God, Ares has the power to incite rage, fear, battlelust, or ias he has preferred since Rome, discipline in the minds of mortals. Skills Master Combatant: Always possessed of immense combative talent, Ares honed his gifts to perfection in Rome in an attempt to earn the respect of his family. It has been said by some that if all beings were equal in power, he would be the universe's most powerful warrior. Tactical Genius: While in Rome, Ares gained a great degree of tactical knowledge and skill, transforming himself from a raging brute into one of existence's most formidable commanders. Occult Knowledge: Ares, like most divine beings, has a vast knowledge of spells and magic. Notable Equipment Bloodpiercer: Quotes Quotes by Ares * “Stop beating around the bush. There’s nothing I hate more than when people won’t tell me the straight truth." -Ares to Cha * "Lots. You'll find that every legend out there has a grain of truth to it, Hawk. Every myth, every tale, was based on something real. Distorted and misremembered though they may be, almost every one of them has substance." -Ares, regarding the truth of existence to Chad Telvarie * "And what were you expecting? Some blood splattered lunatic going around ripping people's heads off?" -Ares regarding his personal reputation * "And Mars was significantly more disciplined. Ares had been a raging brute. Mars became a tactician, a strategist. One who knew how to think something other than 'Kill everything'." -Ares, regarding the discipline he learned in Rome * "Life isn't fair, Telvarie. If my millennia of it have taught me anything, it's that it doesn't have any sense of right and wrong." -Ares to Chad Telvarie * ""I'm not that guy any more....There was a time when all I lived for was carnage and slaughter. I gorged myself on blood and violence, and made my followers do the same. My entire family couldn't stand me. The woman I thought loved only wanted me for my body, my own kids thought I was an embarrassment. I was my father's least favorite child.... including all the mortal ones. Heracles, Perseus, Minos, that arrogant prick, even Helen, that vain, stupid bitch.... I was nothing but a disappointment to him....." -Ares, regarding his own personal growth * "Ares met Rome. I learned discipline, strategy. I became Mars Ultor, the Avenger. The second most beloved god in the whole pantheon. I let it all go to my head. That all changed when the damn chickenheads attacked.... I watched my home turned to ash and rubble.... my family brought low. My father, the most powerful being I had ever met.... I watched as he was crushed beneath Michael's fucking foot. But he wouldn't give up..... he wouldn't put an end to our followers..... not even after they dragged him to Heaven and tortured him. Not until they brought him into that stinking wet hell with my siblings and I..... not until they made him watch what they did to us, did he let our era end." -Ares, regarding his personal journey and the outcome of the angelic attack on Olympus Trivia